ESPN had been asking to lower the fees it pays to MLB for the next portion of its current contract. The deal would remain in place for 2025.

It looks like ESPN and Major League Baseball are not on the same page! The post Latest TV Deal Fallout: The $300M Standoff That Broke ESPN’s MLB Agreement appeared first on EssentiallySports.

In the letter, Manfred cited ESPN's lack of baseball coverage in its programming outside of the games as one of the reasons why he agreed to terminate the deal that was set to run through the 2028 season. However, CNN Sports' Kyle Feldscher reported that the breakup perhaps wasn't completely mutual.

The sports giant sought to reduce the rights fees it paid the league; MLB to seek new rights deal for 2026 season.

ESPN, the so-called “worldwide leader in sports,” seems to have taken a detour into investigative takedowns—this time with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in their crosshairs. The post ESPN Under Scrutiny After Trying to Expose MLB Commissioner Over TV Deal Fallout appeared first on EssentiallySports.

ESPN and Major League Baseball will no longer be partners following the 2025 season, as the sides agreed to mutually opt out of their broadcast contract Thursday. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sent a memo to clubs that was obtained by The Athletic,

The big sports network is walking away from the national pastime, accelerating baseball’s need to cope with the demise of the TV economy that fueled its growth for decades.

The news comes just a couple weeks after ESPN and Major League Baseball opted out of the final three years of a contract that ran through 2028.